A blinded study of antibodies to viral infections in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and age- and sex-matched healthy controls

B. K. Puri & J. A. Monro

Background

Evidence has suggested the possibility that viral infectionsmay be responsible for the pain associated with fibromyalgia (see, for example, Sprott, 2011).

Aim

We wish to test the hypothesis that fibromyalgia may be associated with latent viral infection.

Methods

Blood samples will be collected from 26 patients fulfilling the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia (Wolfe et al., 1990) and from 26 age- and sex-matched healthy control volunteers. The samples will be anonymised and tested by a laboratory which is blind to group allocation for an extensive range of viral antibodies.

Costings

The total grant support requested for this innovative study is £26,000.